RULES FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL FLASH FICTION WRITING CONTEST, BOSTON IN 100 WORDS

1. Contest participation is open to anyone living, working, or going to school in the city of Boston, which includes the following neighborhoods: Allston, Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Brighton, Charlestown, Chinatown, Dorchester, Downtown, East Boston, Fenway, Harbor Islands, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Leather District, Longwood Medical Area, Mattapan, Mission Hill, North End, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South Boston Waterfront, South End, West End, West Roxbury. Participants must submit a valid mailing address in one of these neighborhoods where they can be reached.

2. Participation is also open to anyone living in the following towns: Arlington, Cambridge, Belmont, Brookline, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Newton, Somerville, Revere, Watertown, Winthrop. Participants must submit a valid mailing address in one of these towns where they can be reached.

3. Stories must be about life in the city of Boston.

4. Stories must be originally written by the author for the purpose of this contest, they cannot be previously published, and they cannot be more than 100 words; the title of the story does not count as part of the 100 words.

5. Participants can submit up to five stories each. Stories can be submitted through the contest website and in accordance with the instructions listed there.

6. Stories can also be submitted by mail to: Boston in 100 Words 40 Elson Rd. Waltham, MA 02451. If submitting by mail, please submit stories in a sealed envelope with a pseudonym in place of your real name. Inside the sealed envelope, each story should include a title and your pseudonym; also include a separate document with the following information: pseudonym, title of story (or stories if submitting more than one), first and last name, date of birth, mailing address, phone number, and email.

7. Stories can be submitted from May 19 to July 27, 2021.

8. Winning stories will be selected by a group of local, renowned writers who work in collaboration with a screening committee convened by contest organizers.

9. Contest judges will select a total of thirteen winning stories, including 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place plus 7 honorable mention awards in the general category and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the youth category (for contestants under 17 years old).

10. Winning stories will be posted in public spaces throughout the city of Boston alongside an original illustration. They will also be distributed through the contest’s social media platforms and on our website.

11. Monetary awards for winning stories are as follows: $300 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place, $100 for 3rd place in both the general and youth categories.

12. Stories submitted to the contest will not be returned to the author.

13. Stories must be original, meaning they are written by the submitting author for the purpose of this contest and have not been previously published elsewhere, including an author’s personal website, social media accounts or blogs. Participants who fail to adhere to this rule accept personal responsibility for any damages incurred and contest organizers have the right to take any applicable legal action.

14. By submitting stories to the contest, participating authors implicitly accept these rules and give contest organizers exclusive permission to reproduce, publish, translate and adapt stories for the purpose of free distribution when and where they choose.

15. By submitting stories to the contest, participating authors implicitly accept that their story, along with their name, age, and town of residence can be published by the contest in paper and/or online formats.

For questions, please email: [email protected]